Developers World Championship: Match Report - Japan v New Zealand (Last 16)

JAPAN Space Invaders: Infinity Gene (Taito)

VS NEW ZEALAND PushPixPull (The Miracleworks)

If you thought the world of football attracted more than its fair share of stattos, then prepare to be 24.7% amazed, because the world of apps is even worse.

Indeed, when they're not training their apps out on the pitch, almost all of our coaches can be found hunched over the international ranking charts, charting their incremental growth rates or poring over Matrix-esque streams of data about micro-payments.

Fortunately for the figure-loving folk amongst you, the iPhone Game Developers World Championship certainly isn't short of its own impressive numbers.

The previous quartet of Last 16 matches had already yielded 12 goals, 11 zombies, 3 heart attacks, 1 penalty shoot out, 1 sending off, 1 new sick signature move (Loop the Loop), AND a magical fairy.

Suffice to say, the analysts had forecast further scores, along with a comfortable quota of frantic action. Ultimately, though, come the end of play, two more apps would have to watch their hockey sticks curve the wrong way.

First up this afternoon, the videogaming behemoth Japan faced one of the surprise packages of this, and indeed another football-related, tournament.

New Zealand had successfully negotiated its way out of Group F, but, my golly, it was close. Closer than close. In fact you could almost say 'shear'. With a superior goal difference of just one solitary goal, the Kiwis had consigned the Czech Republic to an early flight back to Prague.

Admittedly, the 3D puzzler PushPixPull hadn't exactly excelled in its Group F showdown, but developer The Miracleworks' was confident that they could find a solution and besides, as they confessed in a pre-match interview, no-one really expected them to be here, so the pressure was on their opponents.

If the Japanese were feeling the strain, they certainly weren't showing it, as they calmly dusted off the arcade cabinet to unveil its challenger to the world.

Space Invaders: Infinity Gene had already rolled back the years once in its group stage encounter, blasting HeroCraft’s compendium out of the sky three times, and it looked quietly confident of repeating the trick.

Not quite a battle of the planets perhaps, but certainly a clash of continents and cultures. Asia v Oceania, game on!

Kick Off: 3pm, 28th June

The critical view: Without Jules Rimet there would be no football World Cup. Without Space Invaders there would be no Pocket Gamer World Champs. It was as straightforward as that.

It was only fitting then that the tournament organisers paid a gracious tribute to Taito before the national anthems, a mark of respect which brought a lump to many a teary-eyed, grizzled hack.

It was bound to have had an effect on the Japanese players, yet any sign of emotion quickly dissipated, as the Kiwis pushed, pulled, and picked in the early stages.

New Zealand’s charges had been ordered to keep things simple for the first 15, ensuring that the side’s tidy one-touch passing in midfield came to the fore.

Space Invaders: Infinity Gene was not to be outdone in the style stakes, though, displaying some delightful touchscreen control of its own on more than one occasion.

In a first for the tournament, the PA system had been hijacked by the producers of the respective apps. Security had been called immediately, but an urgent doughnut order could not be ignored.

Over the tannoy a strange and frankly disharmonious din developed. PushPixPull’s ambient soundscape was jostling with Space Invaders’ mesmeric music.

Taito’s production had the edge, and when its spectacular visuals were relayed over the big screen to accompany the action, the Japanese were ready to unleash one of their familiar attacking waves.

It looked ominous for the Kiwis, as Taito switched the play rhythmically from side to side, unleashing pot shots at regular intervals. Though most were blocked initially by an organised New Zealand back line, the All Whites were forced to defend deeper and deeper, as the pressure duly increased.

Eventually, one of the Asian flyers broke free to whip in a cross that was dispassionately dispatched with a bullet by the Japanese #9.

The sheep and rugby-loving nation were despondent. Having fought valiantly against an iconic foe for 32 minutes, they’d been opened up by a flash of audio-visual mastery.

It got worse for PushPixPull shortly after, as Space Invaders’ PG Gold Award was beamed over the jumbo screen, distracting the Kiwi’s cutesy goalie. With a highly sensitive gesture, the Japanese forward proceeded to invade some space between him and the back four, and fire his second into the back of the net.

2-0 and coasting to victory, Space Invaders: Infinity Gene retired to the changing room content with their work. The New Zealand coach, however, would need to prove himself a real Miraclework-er to rescue this one.

Half time: Japan 2 – 0 New Zealand The Fans’ 45: As the second half evolved, it soon became clear that it was the Space Invaders who were increasing their momentum both on and off the pitch.

Japan's fervent followers had brought an extra dimension to the gameplay, a host of refreshed features and stages offering new avenues to explore for the management team, who promptly made a triple substitution.

PushPixPull's eight worlds, spread across two banks of four had managed to keep the invaders at bay up until now. Faced with fresh limbs (and antennae), though, they could do nothing to prevent the iconic shmup's third that literally rocketed between the posts.

In truth, there could have been several more scores as the Japanese were on a different (end-of) level and totally bossed the game, but as the game wore on they were content to slow the tempo right down.

Nevertheless, in the Last 16's most one-sided game to date, Japan had laid down an impressive marker, demonstrating that they would be a force to be reckoned with in the latter stages.

But who would they face in the quarters?

Full time: Japan 3 – 0 New Zealand Final Group Tables - Fixtures & Voting - Squads

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